A guest returns a Spatlese Riesling as "too sweet" and asks for something dry instead. You have a second Spatlese in the fridge that is bone dry. Explaining why both are Spatlese, and why one is sweet and one is not, is an advanced answer in a sentence.
The Prädikat scale is about ripeness, not sweetness
This is the classic examinable point. The Prädikat categories describe the sugar level in the grapes at harvest, in other words how ripe they were picked. They do not guarantee the sweetness of the finished wine, because the winemaker decides how much of that sugar to ferment away.
| Prädikat | What it means at harvest |
|---|---|
| Kabinett | Normal ripeness; lightest, lowest alcohol |
| Spatlese | Late-picked, riper |
| Auslese | Selected bunches, riper still, may include botrytis |
| Beerenauslese (BA) | Individually selected, nobly rotten berries |
| Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) | Shrivelled, nobly rotten berries; the sweetest and rarest |
| Eiswein | Grapes frozen on the vine, pressed while frozen |
If the label also says Trocken, the wine is dry, however ripe the grapes were. So a Spatlese Trocken is made from late-picked grapes and fermented to dryness: fuller, higher in alcohol, dry. A Spatlese without Trocken is likely off-dry to sweet. BA, TBA and Eiswein are always sweet in practice because there is too much sugar to ferment out.
German regions
- Mosel — the coolest, steep blue slate slopes above the river; delicate, low-alcohol Riesling with racy acidity, lime and stony character. Aspect is everything here: without a steep south-facing slope, nothing ripens.
- Rheingau — a little warmer; firmer, drier, more structured Riesling.
- Pfalz and Rheinhessen — warmer, riper, fuller; more dry Riesling and Pinot Noir.
- Baden — the warmest; Germany s best Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir).
- Nahe — a fine middle ground.
The leading producer association, the VDP, operates its own vineyard-based classification, with Grosses Gewachs used for dry wines from top sites. It is a private association standard, not the national law.
Austria
Drier and more continental than Germany. Gruner Veltliner is the signature white: dry, high acid, citrus and, distinctively, white pepper; it ranges from light and zesty to full and age-worthy from the terraces of the Wachau, Kremstal and Kamptal. Austrian Riesling is dry, mineral and steely. In Burgenland, warmer and near the Neusiedlersee, come reds (Blaufrankisch, Zweigelt) and, from the lake s humidity, superb botrytised sweet wines.
Greece, Hungary and beyond
- Greece — Assyrtiko from the volcanic island of Santorini: bone-dry, searing acidity, salty; the reds Xinomavro (Nebbiolo-like in tannin and acid) and Agiorgitiko.
- Hungary — Tokaji Aszu, a legendary botrytised sweet wine from Furmint, whose sweetness level is traditionally expressed in puttonyos.
- Slovenia, Croatia, Romania and Georgia — increasingly serious, and Georgia remains the home of ancient clay-vessel (qvevri) winemaking.
Onboard Notes
Fine German Riesling is the most under-used weapon in yacht service: low alcohol, high acidity and, when off-dry, an ability to handle chilli, ginger and soy that almost no red can match. Confirm dry or off-dry before you pour, never after.